Video games news, releases, esports and culture — all the biggest gaming stories in one place.
10 anime that delivered better endings than Attack on Titan (#1 is pitch-perfect)
Polygon argues that Attack on Titan’s controversial, bittersweet finale is compelling but less coherent than several other anime endings.
– Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is ranked first for its thematic closure, character resolution and satisfying payoff. – Takopi’s Original Sin is praised for treating childhood trauma with sincerity rather than offering a magical quick fix. – Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is included for the effectiveness of its concluding arc. – The article frames these and seven other series as delivering stronger coherence, conviction and catharsis than Attack on Titan.
In short
- Polygon ranks ten anime with stronger endings than Attack on Titan.
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood takes first place.
- Attack on Titan’s ending remains divisive.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Attack on Titan's ending, whilst ambitious, ultimately delivers less coherent thematic resolution than series like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which maintain intellectual and emotional consistency throughout their conclusions. These alternatives provide clearer character arcs and catharsis whilst respecting their established themes, whereas Attack on Titan's bittersweet finale creates unresolved tensions that undermine rather than amplify its intended impact.
The case against
Attack on Titan's ending represents a deliberate choice to prioritise moral complexity and human ambiguity over conventional resolution, grappling honestly with war's consequences in ways that tidier narratives avoid. What appears as incoherence to critics reflects genuine artistic conviction—the refusal to provide comfortable catharsis becomes itself a form of thematic integrity, and the work's value may lie precisely in its discomfort rather than in the satisfaction other anime deliver.
Explained simply
Anime series often build towards a final run of episodes that must resolve long-running conflicts and explain what becomes of their main characters. Endings can be judged in different ways, including whether they fit the story’s themes, answer important questions and give characters a clear conclusion.
Attack on Titan is a Japanese animated series set in a world where people live behind huge walls to protect themselves from giant human-like creatures. As the story expands, it becomes concerned with war, political power, inherited hatred and the choices made by its central character, Eren Yeager.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and Takopi’s Original Sin are other anime with very different settings and subjects. Comparisons between their endings focus on how each series brings its plot and emotional themes to a close, rather than on a single agreed measure of quality.